On Fire
by sKyLaR KnIgHt
Summary: Due to the increasing amount of Night Class students enrolling, Headmaster Cross decided to assign a couple of new prefects... Zero isn't exactly happy with these arrangements. Kain/Zero and minor Aido/Sayori.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this takes place when Yuki is in the night class and is no longer a prefect (Kaname's there too). I decided that the person to take her place would be Sayori, so she starts off as Zero's partner in this; it's safe to assume that they're friends.

This is my first Kain/Zero story, so YAOI! And please let me know what you think! Oh and there is some minor Aido/Sayori in this too…

Please read and enjoi!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

0—On Fire/One—0

"You can't be serious." Zero growled, pacing the entire length of Headmaster Cross' office, lifting a hand and running it through his already tousled hair. "You agreed that the prefects were to be used as a defense _against _the vampires. What the hell is the point of it if you assign the very things that we're trying to protect the humans from, _as_ prefects?!"

Wakaba Sayori, Zero's fellow prefect, placed a calming hand on her partner's shoulder for the briefest of seconds before glancing to the headmaster, her brows knitting together. "I'm afraid that I have to voice similar questions, Cross-san… This seems to be quite sudden. Is our work no longer sufficient enough to protect the Day Class?"

"No, no, Yori-chan." The long haired headmaster waved off the young woman's question aside easily before leaning forward on his desk, dropping his chin on his folded hands. "Actually, work seems to be going a bit smoother since Yuki-chan joined the Night Class and gained their allegiance. They seem to want to please her, and nothing would please her more than to ease the burdens of Cross Academy's prefects…" The elder hunter paused when he noticed Zero tense and scowl at Yuki's name before continuing in a firm tone. "Even if she is now a member of their court, the both of you are still her friends."

Yori nodded while Zero shifted from foot to foot, his lavender eyes wandering around the room before settling on staring vacantly out the window and into the mid-afternoon sky.

Cross stared at Zero's stubbornly set jaw before sighing, falling back against the plush seat of his chair. "Anyways, back to the matter at hand, more vampires are enrolling in the Night Class than ever. I spoke with Kaname-kun and we both agreed that it would be in everyone's best interest if we assigned a couple of Night Class students to do the nightly shifts with the two of you; at least until the newer additions to our happy family get used to being closer to humans."

The silver haired hunter glared at the older male with a hint of disgust at the words _happy family_ before moving towards to the door, his intentions of leaving then and there clear as day... Only to be pulled to a stop by Sayori. The female turned her large hazel eyes on the male, her blank face promising horrible things should he leave before they were dismissed.

Zero cringed. He could have easily broken out of her hold, and if she were anyone else, he would have; after all, he used to do so all the time when Yuki had been his partner, however, when it came to Sayori… Well, she made well with her threats. Since she wasn't much of a talker and would never talk Zero's ear off as Yuki used to, she decided to take a more… Academic approach.

Whenever Zero did something that the short honey haired female didn't particularly agree with, she'd force him into the library and… She made him _STUDY!_ Zero shuddered at the thought and allowed himself to remain still at her side. _But not everything can go her way._ He thought stubbornly. In order to salvage what little pride he had left, he refused to turn back towards Headmaster Cross. That bastard could talk to his back for all he cared.

Once Sayori was positive that her silver haired partner would remain exactly where he stood, she turned back to the long haired male and gave him the smallest of nods. "Very well. When will we meet the temporary prefects?"

Kaien lifted a thin finger and adjusted his glasses, avoiding the young woman's inquiring gaze. "Erm… Well, actually, you will be meeting them…" There was a knock on the door, causing the headmaster to jump lightly and chuckle nervously. "Well, now actually. You may come in!" He called out in the direction of the door.

Zero froze for a fraction for a second when the door opened, before roaring back to life when his blood quickly boiled over with anger at the sight of the two new _prefects._ The silver haired male turned back and sent Headmaster Cross a murderous gaze, grinding his teeth together to keep himself from outright snarling at the man. "THEM?!"

0—Break—0

"I can't believe that we're going to have to be on prefect duty with that level D and robot girl!" Aido groaned as he and Kain made their way through the main building towards the headmaster's office. The blonde all but draped himself on his cousin, who he viewed as more of a brother-like figure, as they ascended the stairs, pouting when the taller of the two gently nudged him off.

Kain Akatsuki raised a brow at Aido's choice of wording. "Robot girl?" He understood his cousin's choice in naming Kiryu; however, he didn't understand the nickname for the Wakaba girl.

"That girl doesn't have any emotions whatsoever! The one time that she caught me was when I was out during the day. I tried to flirt my way out of punishment. I told her that she had the prettiest eyes that I had ever seen, and do you know what she did?" Aido lifted his head high in the air and sniffed disdainfully. "She merely nodded as if she already knew and told me to leave immediately or she'd have to take disciplinary actions!"

The crimson haired male smirked and glanced over his shoulder at his cousin, who had started to lag behind a bit during his rant. "Maybe you aren't her type, Hanabusa."

"Feh. What nonsense. I'm everyone's type." Aido opened his mouth again, and from the looks of things, he was fixing to go off on another rant.

_Time to daydream._ Kain thought, already ignoring whatever it was that seemed to be the biggest problem of Aido's life as of late. Akatsuki loved his cousin; he really did, but sometimes… Sometimes Aido just needed to know how to shut up.

Being vampires, they were able to make it to the headmaster's office in record time, both of them pausing briefly at the older man's nervous tone before Kain lazily reached up and knocked a couple of times.

"You may come in!"

Kain reached forward and slowly eased the door open, and the first thing he saw was the whites of Kiryu's eyes, his lavender hues widened as far as they could. This was the first time that he actually clashed gazes with the prefect, and if Kain was being perfectly honest, the level D's eyes were quite captivating… Until they narrowed into dangerous slits, that is.

The laid back vampire barely managed to withhold the sigh that was on the tip of his lips. He knew that look… Things were about to get loud…

"THEM?!"

Headmaster Cross immediately climbed out of his seat and moved around his desk, coming to the livid hunter's side, a nervous, placating smile on his face. "I know that it's going to take some getting used to, Zero-kun, but—." He reached out and placed a hand on the young man. Wrong move.

"Get the hell off of me!" Zero snapped, shrugging off the touch before tossing Kaien into his bookshelf.

Despite their superior speed and strength, neither vampire moved to aid the older hunter as the bookshelf tumbled down. Akatsuki refrained because it seemed to be too much work for such an early time—for him—and Aido wouldn't save a human unless it was an order; however, it didn't stop him from commenting on the actions Kiryu took.

"How crass." Aido smirked as the silver haired prefect turned his blazing gaze onto him. "Though I suppose that one cannot expect any less from a level D."

"Hanabusa." Kain sent his cousin a warning look, sighing when it went completely ignored. _Here we go again…_

A deep growl that was purely predatory filled the room and Zero took a step forward, his lavender hues darkening every second. "What was that, bloodsucker?"

"Humph. I knew that due to your ranking in the food chain that your senses weren't nearly as honed as my own, but I never knew how weak you really were if you didn't hear that."

_This isn't good._ Kain thought with a slight frown. _Judging by Kiryu's darkening eyes, he's fixing to experience bloodlust… That would be most problematic, especially since we're in the Day Class area of the campus…_

"Zero." The single word was spoken so soft that if they weren't vampires, they wouldn't have heard it; however, it had a large effect on the angered prefect.

Kain's eyes snapped towards the 'robot girl'. The female's lips were pursed and her hazel eyes having a warning look in them as she stared her partner down. The smallest of smirks formed on the crimson haired male's face when he noticed that Kiryu was steadily calming down, his eyes slowly lightening back to their lovely lavender. _Heh. She may be a robot when it comes to emotions, but she sure knows how to keep the beast at bay._ He stole a glance at his cousin, who was taking in the information presented to him with a calculating gaze. He nudged the blonde lightly with his elbow, shaking his head slightly. Aido should have known better than to pick fights with Kiryu…

0—Break—0

Zero froze at the stern sound of his name and the slight tightening of Sayori's hand on his arm He chanced a glance in her direction. Wrong move. He glanced in the other direction and scowled lightly. It irritated him that she knew how to deal with him so well, but… Well, it also made him feel a bit… content; it was great knowing that she cared about him enough to make sure that he didn't do something that he grudgingly knew that he'd regret later.

"Well… I suppose that we should quickly go over our rounds." Sayori broke the mounting silence, slowly releasing Zero's arm and taking a small step towards the new prefects as she pulled out a map of the campus.

Zero ignored the details that were being discussed, seeing as he already knew the routes like he knew the back of his hand, and instead chose to gauge the two vampires that he knew that Kaname considered his right hand men. Aido was examining his nails, nodding every now and then to let Sayori know that he was listening—an action that annoyed the silver haired male—as she explained the exact perimeter of the campus that was needed to be scouted. Zero quickly flicked his gaze towards the cousin who seemed to be the more mature out of the two.

Unlike his cousin, Kain was actually actively paying attention, asking a few questions here and there to clarify a few things.

_I suppose that Kain is an acceptable choice._ Zero thought, shoving his hands into his pockets. _Even if he seems a bit lazy at times, when he is given a mission, he takes it seriously… But why the hell did Aido have to be chosen? Ichijo would have been a better choice…_

"…and that's about it." He heard Sayori conclude. He glanced over just in time to see her roll the map up and place it back on the headmaster's desk. She glanced down at her wrist watch before glancing up at her partner, sharing a small nod before turning to the two vampires. "It's actually time for us to start our rounds. The two of you can patrol the east and south sides of campus and Zero-kun and I will take the west and north."

They shared a collective nod, turning in unison towards the doors, only to be stopped by Headmaster Cross. He somehow managed to get behind them and block the door without anyone noticing, an impressive feat, considering the majority of the room was comprised of vampires.

"Actually, I was hoping that the partners would have one Day Class member and one Night Class member…"

0—One/End—0

A/N: Thanx for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is going to be a pretty short fic. Maybe a couple or so chapters left? Anyways, thanx for the reviews! Here's the next one!

Please read and enjoi!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

0—On Fire/Two—0

The four prefects blankly stared at Headmaster Cross for a span of five seconds before Zero decided to dignify the statement with a response.

"Keep dreaming, old man." He snarled, taking a couple of steps forward and kicking the man out of their way. He pointedly opened the door and had one foot over the threshold when his partner's voice broke the deafening silence that had engulfed the room after he had kicked the older hunter.

"…Zero-kun, I'm afraid that I must side with Cross-san in this case." Sayori spoke up.

"What?!" He spun around to stare at the person he believed to be his one and only friend, his eyes narrowing in on the female with the honey brown hair. "Wakaba—."

"Neither one of them are completely familiar with our procedures, even if I did explain them." She took a step forward, folding her arms behind her back as she peered up at the silver haired teen. "Besides, due to Aido-san's personality, he will quickly get bored with this work and either run away and shirk his duties, or he'd be out there causing mischief for himself." The lone female ignored the slight scoff from the blonde, taking another step forward as she continued. "According to Kain-san's personality, he won't lift a finger to stop Aido-san unless it's something that will endanger someone else's life. We will end up with more work by the end of the night if we don't split up accordingly."

"She has a point, Zero-kun~!" Kaien called cheerfully from his spot on the ground.

_Damn it! _Zero wanted to argue, but he knew a good point when he heard it. He barely tolerated having to clean up after the Day Class students; if he had to look after two _prefects_ and keep them in check, he'd end up killing someone!

He quickly whirled on the two vampires, sizing each one of them up for a brief moment. His lips curled in disdain at the sight of Aido. _The guy's a pervert though… I can't really put him with Wakaba, can I?_ The silver haired male nodded silently to himself. "Aido. Come." He gave Sayori a curt nod before striding out the door, the slightly put off blonde trailing behind at a much slower pace.

"Hey, level D!" Aido lengthened his strides so that he would be in step with Zero, making sure to stay a safe enough distance away that the move didn't anger the male in question.

"What is it?" Zero's brows pinched down as his irritation with his situation began to slowly climb. Couldn't Aido go the night without talking? They obviously hated each other; why torture themselves with useless banter?

"You and robot-girl were given weapons when you both started your active duties as prefects. Where is mine? Akatsuki's?"

Zero's hands formed fists at his sides at the nickname Aido decided to grant Sayori, his brows pulling down even further. "You don't need one."

Aido blinked. "Why?"

Zero gritted his teeth and dug his nails into his hand's flesh to keep from pulling out Bloody Rose and shooting the blonde point blank in the face. "You don't need them. You're vampires. Besides, moron, the weapons aren't regular, they're ANTI-vampire. You wouldn't be able to touch it." Zero glanced over to sneer at the annoying blonde, only to freeze at the raw glee he saw on Aido's face.

"Ah. Yes. Vampire weapons. How could I have forgotten?"

_Fuck. He was just acting stupid so that he'd get this opportunity. _The silver haired prefect resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall; he sure as hell didn't want to amuse Aido further more with what he would deem slapstick comedy. _It would be best if I'd just ignore him._ Zero strode down to the end of the wing, his hand coming down on the heavy doors that would lead to the court yard.

"My, my… I'm surprised that your weak level D status hasn't affected you whilst you hold your gun… Then again, maybe that's why you haven't been destroyed." Aido stepped forward and leaned close to Zero's ear. "You're just too weak for the weapons to activate. Too weak of a vampire."

A low pitched snarl filled the empty corridor, the sound so dark and promising of death that even Aido nearly shivered. "Get the hell away, you damn blood sucker." Zero shrugged the blonde off and quickly changed tactics, heading back in the direction of Headmaster Cross' office. _Screw this partnership. If I need to be partnered with one of these beasts, I'd rather choose Kain._ His thoughts briefly fluttered over forcing Sayori to be partners with the asshole who was slowly following him, but were immediately dismissed. _He may be a pervert when it comes to women, but I highly doubt that Wakaba would be stupid enough to fall for any of his antics. Besides, it's better for the two of them to be paired up rather than Aido and I… I'd end up killing that smug bastard._

0—Break—0

Kain glanced over at the dainty female at his side, raising a brow and allowing a lazy half smile to form on his face. "So I guess that means that we're partners, ne, Wakaba-san?"

The stoic female glanced up at the crimson haired vampire for a brief moment, giving her head a slight shake before turning back to the door.

The tall male paused at the amusement that had shined in the human's eyes for a second. _What's so…_

Before he even had time to complete the thought, Kiryu stormed back into the room, his wild lavender hues immediately seizing on Kain's form. "Aido with Sayori. Kain, you're with me." He locked eyes with the taller male, giving him another brief nod before walking out, motioning for Kain to follow.

Akatsuki allowed a small smirk to form on his lips as he shadowed the irritated level D vampire, taking note that the longer he stared at Zero's back, the more tense the silver haired male became. When Zero seemed as if he was going to turn around to berate him, Kain would look away, making sure to keep his gaze off of the shorter male long enough for him to wind down a bit before repeating the process.

Kain didn't really pay much attention to their surroundings, so when Kiryu came to a stop, he also stopped almost immediately after.

The silver haired male half turned and stared Akatsuki down with his lavender hues, unknown emotions swimming in their pearly depths. He seemed to be… looking for something. Kain shifted on his feet, not uneasily, but merely to give himself something to do as he stared right back. This continued for a couple of moments before Zero blinked, breaking the spell.

"We're done for the night." By the time his quiet voice reached Kain's ears, he was already turning away and heading off in the direction of the Day Class dorms, leaving the crimson haired male standing there, frozen on the spot.

Kain stared blankly out at the starry night sky with a slight frown on his face. He stared up at the vast expanse of the sky for about five minutes before heading back to the dorm room that he shared with his cousin, a single, solitary thought lingering in his mind.

_I just spent the entire night… Staring at Kiryu's back._

0—Two/End—0

A/N: Most of the next chapter is Kain/Zero interaction, so look out for that in a couple of days!

Thanx for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter really got away from me... I wasn't able to fit in much Kain/Zero time, but it IS in here! Thanx for the reviews! Here's the next one! Oh, and I decided that this is going to be at least five chapters.

Please read and enjoi!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

0—On Fire/Three—0

Akatsuki cringed as the screams of Day Class fangirls assaulted his superior ears. He never quite cared for fangirls, but he never really abhorred them either… Until now, that is. His bright gold hues flicked off to the side, where his cousin stood, showing off his new 'Prefect' badge and basking in the praises of the females.

"Oh Idol-sempai! We're so proud of you!" One shouted adoringly. Kain scoffed. He could see the hearts in her eyes from where he stood.

"Idol-sempai, you're so talented!"

"Will you have to punish us if things get out of hand?" One asked, batting her eyelashes.

The crimson haired vampire rolled his eyes at that. _These girls really are—._

"Pathetic."

Kain's eyes immediately sought out the owner of the voice who had just voiced his own thoughts, not surprised in the least when he saw Kiryu standing at the mouth of an archway with a deep scowl marring his attractive features. His hands were tucked deep into his black pants, his lavender eyes roving over the females that stood in front of Aido.

"Get behind the line." Zero spat, his scathing glare coaxing the females into scrambling behind the designated white stripe. He strode over to Aido and shoved him in Akatsuki's direction. "And you! Stop encouraging them."

"This is a prestigious school, one that has a five year waiting list." Sayori exited the archway that Zero had came from a moment or two before, her sullen features taking in the females that stood at the opposite end that her old partner occupied. "It is quite a shame that some students who wanted to get in for **academic** reasons couldn't…"

Kain lifted a brow when he noticed that a dark shadow had taken place over the group the robot-like young woman was admonishing. Several shoulders hunched over, some of the females actually looking ashamed.

"I'm…not feeling up to seeing Ichijo-sempai tonight." A few girls nodded amongst themselves, slowly turning away from the line and shuffling back in the direction of the Day Class dorms.

The only ones that remained were impervious to the petite Wakaba's light scolding, stubbornly straightening their backs with their noses in the air as they eyed the gates to the Night Class dorms longingly. _These_ girls weren't going anywhere.

"Humph. They seem to be handling things quite well without us." Aido's statement sounded in Kain's ear just before the blonde draped himself over his cousin's shoulder. "I don't see why we have to wake up earlier than everyone else to come out here and do nothing."

"Hn." Kain grunted and shuffled off of one foot to the other, not bothering to give his cousin a proper response.

"Hn?! What kind of answer is that, Akatsuki?!" The blonde exclaimed loudly, jumping lightly to wrap his legs around his cousin's waist, shoving his face into the back of the crimson haired vampire's neck.

Kain's hands automatically came up to the stubborn ice wielder's legs, sighing lightly in annoyance. "Hanabusa…" He tugged halfheartedly before giving up, shoving a large hand through his hair just as he glanced up. Had he been a mortal, he would have jumped; for when he looked up, he was suddenly face to face with a furious looking Kiryu.

"Get out of here. Both of you." The turned vampire growled, his teeth gnashing together so loud that Kain couldn't help but wince in sympathy for how Kiryu's teeth must have felt.

Pushing those thoughts away, however, he raised a thin brow at Zero's tone and aggressive demeanor. _Why is he so mad, though?_ "Why?" He asked. Ballsy, he knew, but even if he didn't exactly hate the level D vampire, he wasn't just going to obey without any sort of explanation.

"Do you really not know what it is that you're doing?" The amused tones of robot-girl caused Akatsuki's gold hues to slip off of the silver haired prefect and off in the direction where Wakaba stood, only to still as his gaze slid over countless waves of fangirls, all of them staring at him more intently than they usually did, some of them even having drool escaping the corners of their mouths… It was then that Kain was reminded of his cousin who had latched onto his back and had his legs tightly wrapped around his waist…

Quite the compromising position…

All of a sudden, there was a hand grasping the fire wielder's crimson tie, which immediately pulled his attention to that who held it. "Leave." Kiryu's dark tone drew the fire wielder's eyes. Lavender eyes narrowed as Kain lifted a hand and rested it on the one grasping his tie. "You're causing too much chaos. Take your cousin and get the hell out of here." Zero's hand slowly released his tie and smoothly retracted before he turned and walked away, already snapping at the fangirls who were watching on with dazed expressions.

The crimson haired vampire eyed the hunter's familiar back for a couple of seconds longer before taking off at a fairly descent speed—for humans, that is—ignoring all if any questions that Aido may have posed. No, his thoughts remained firmly rooted on the expression on Kiryu's face and those flashing, brilliant lavender hues.

0—Break—0

"Did you see that? Forbidden love at its greatest!" One girl whispered to another.

"Yeah! Wild and Idol-sempai are the perfect pair where forbidden love is concerned!" Exclaimed another.

"Did you see Kiryu? He seemed quite… impassioned when he saw what was going on." A third joined in.

"You know, he actually isn't that bad looking. Handsome, really."

"Ooh, do you suppose that he likes Wild-sempai? We all saw how Zero held onto his tie!"

"Or maybe he likes Idol-sempai. He did look cross with Wild-sempai…"

"He was so jealous!"

Zero scowled up at the sky, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he cursed the damn pureblood Hio once more. Even in death that bitch tormented him, giving him his superior hearing that allowed him to hear every _dirty _detail these sick females unknowingly thrust upon him. His shoulders tensed when he heard a light chuckle, whipping his head to his left to glare at the perpetrator.

Sayori was watching him with her honey toned orbs crinkling ever so slightly as she lifted a hand to cover her delicate mouth, not even bothering to pretend for him that she didn't hear what was being said as well.

_Some friend._ His expression soured, wishing for all that was good in the world that those damn vampires of the Night Class would hurry their asses up and get going already to give the deranged fangirls something else to focus on.

As if by some cosmic sense of justice, the gates of the Night Class dorms creaked loudly, silencing all conversations concerning the forbidden love triangle as they swung open. The turned vampire had never been so happy to see bloodsuckers in his whole life.

A couple of nobodies dashed ahead to their class. Zero rather liked this type; the type that came to Cross Academy for knowledge rather than basking in the same residence as a couple of purebloods. They tended to avoid lingering in the walkway where the pandemonium of fangirls fangirling occurred. Less vampires, less trouble; at least, that's what Zero believed.

"Sayori-chan!" A flash of long brunette hair edged the corners of his vision. Zero refused to look. In fact, he turned away, making a show of snapping at a couple of females who were toeing the line, just to keep him occupied.

"…Zero?" The voice was hesitant; a tone that had once caused warmth to flood his senses, but now sent nothing but ice through his veins. He willed himself to keep from flinching when Yuki suddenly walked within his line of sight. Her large, innocent brown eyes examined his face for a couple of moments before a small tentative smile stretched upon her lips. "Good evening."

The silver haired male swallowed past the small lump in his throat, pointedly looking in a different direction. "Cross." He didn't want to have to see the hurt that would cloud her features, because _everyone_ knew that Yuki couldn't mask her emotions for anything. _She should be happy that I'm even acknowledging her_. He thought sullenly, glancing down against his will.

There was an unnatural shine in the large brown eyes of his former partner, hinting that tears would soon follow, but they never came. Somehow, Yuki managed to keep them locked within the confines of her eyes, smiling up at him sadly. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well." She gave him one last long look before nodding ever so slightly and moving on, her long chestnut hair swaying behind her in the breeze.

Zero's jaw locked and he glanced up, noticing the disapproving stare Sayori was sending his way. He grimaced. He'd be getting an earful once all of the students left.

"Kiryu."

_Could this day be any worse?_ The silver haired hunter wanted to find lady luck and give her a large shoeprint on her ass… He glanced up, immediately sighing at a pair of angry eyes. _Maybe two shoeprints…_ He thought, before giving his attention to the pureblood prince. "Kuran."

Kaname stepped closer, his voice low enough so that no human ears could hear. "I should kill you for—."

Zero met him halfway, nearly nose to nose with his nemesis. "Do it." He interrupted, pulling his hands out of his pockets and kept them at his sides, close enough to defend, far enough to attack.

The pureblood prince's eyes meticulously roved over the hunter's form, his eyes lingering longer than necessary before a false smile—for the humans, Zero knew—appeared on his face. He stepped back and tapped Zero's chest lightly. "Play nice and I will as well, Mr. Disciplinary." The masked threat was apparent to the hunter who merely stepped away from the prodding hand and grunted.

Zero's head whipped back around to face Kaname a couple of moments later when he noticed that the male had yet to move. _If that bastard is expecting an answer any different than what I gave him, he can kiss my ass._

"Kaname-sama?" A soft spoken vampire who never seemed to be too far from the pureblood prince, stepped forward. "We will be late if we do not leave now." She uttered lowly, gesturing towards the remaining Night Class students, who lingered in the archway that lead to the school.

"Very well, Seiren." Kaname nodded, sending Zero one last lingering stare before walking off towards his entourage.

Zero let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding once the doors shut behind the group. He turned towards the group of lingering fangirls, suddenly feeling tired beyond belief, considering the early time. "Get back to your dorms."

A few girls eyed the silver haired prefect appraisingly before happily skipping off, deeming that evening a successful one.

The hunter was relieved that they actually left without a fight, straightening ever so slightly as he turned around. He was ready to start his rounds. He froze not a second later when he saw Sayori staring there, her dainty arms crossed over her chest as she stared up at him crossly.

"We need to talk."

Zero sighed, running a pale hand through his hair before nodding reluctantly. This was going to be one hell of a long night.

0—Break—0

There wasn't anything better than a calm night's stroll with the wind picking up enough to keep the aristocrat cool. After Akatsuki had met back up with Kiryu to complete the night's rounds, he had taken to walking at the level D's side rather than behind. He'd rather not be caught staring at the brooding male's back twice in a row if he could help it, and he couldn't help but notice that it set Zero's shoulders at ease without having a potential enemy at his back, scrutinizing his every move.

They worked in a comfortable silence, and unlike most, Kain didn't feel the need to irritate the silver haired vampire from his state of tranquility—well, about as tranquil as the hunter could get while in the company of one of his enemies—with idle chatter. Their rounds went fast without talk distracting them from their duty, and Kain was pleased when he realized that they finished just after the Night Class had finished for the night. With any luck, he'd be able to get back into his normal sleeping habits…

"Come. We need to make sure that the Night Class students go straight to their dorms." Zero's curt tone caught Akatsuki's attention, who sent his partner a small nod, following where the silver haired male led. The level D quickly strode over to a set of stairs that led to the top of one of the taller buildings—the Literature department, if Kain was thinking correctly—and arrived just in time to see the vampires flood out of the academic wing of the academy, all of them slowly but surely making their way back towards their dorms.

Kain glanced at Zero from the corner of his eyes, watching as the lavender hues flicked from face to face, as if he was keeping tabs on all who came and went. _He probably is._ He realized, slowly slipping his hands into his pockets as he turned his attention to his classmates. _I wouldn't put it past Kiryu to have that skill. I wonder how he manages to remember the faces of so many people. _He paused in his thoughts as he glanced down at some familiar faces, some not. _Even _I _don't know everyone, and they're my people._

They remained there in complete silence before they watched the last person enter the dorms, the gates closing, seemingly on their own volition.

"We're done for the night." Zero's smooth timbre slid over Akatsuki and into his ears.

The sound of Kiryu's voice was quite pleasant when he wasn't issuing death threats, Kain realized, his gold hues flicking over to the prefect, who was motioning for them to descend the stairs and return to the ground. He nodded in acknowledgement to the hunter, moving ahead and climbing down the stairs before the other prefect could do so. _I wouldn't want to be distracted by that slim back of his and fall down the stairs._ He thought with a hint of amusement. He skipped the last step, merely widening his legs and continuing on with ease, not bothering to hide the small smirk that took over his lips when Kiryu fell in step beside him.

He glanced over towards the prefect, who walked by his side. The Day Class dorms were in the same direction from their current position, and they would separate at the fork in the sidewalk a few yards ahead. Kain would be going right, Kiryu left. It wasn't until they turned towards their respective dorms did Akatsuki call out, "Good night, Kiryu." There was a pregnant pause as both males stilled. Kain, to hear if the hunter would respond, and the hunter, most likely in shock.

There was a light sound of shuffling; Akatsuki almost believed that Zero had left, but then the soft, "Night," reached his ears before he heard Kiryu jog off, the sounds of his retreating footsteps quickly softening as he increased the distance between them. There was a rush of…something in Akatsuki's chest, and after a few moments of self-examination, he realized that he felt accomplished.

_Well, it _was _sort of something that I wouldn't have expected. Kiryu actually responded, even if it was a bit of a flat response._ Kain tilted his head back and glanced up at the stars, lifting a hand as he suddenly got the sensation of a yawn working its way up and out of his mouth. _But I'm sure that I'll get more of a response out of him… Someday._

0—Three/End—0

A/N: So FOR SURE, the next chapter will have more Kain/Zero interaction. If not, you all have permission to hunt me down bearing torches and pitchforks, demanding your wishes to be answered. Hehe.

Thanx for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I meant to update this yesterday, but my internet was whack, so you know how that goes…

Please read and enjoi!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

0—On Fire/Four—0

Kain's brows furrowed lightly and his eyes fluttered open in response to the firm, insistent knocking on the door to his dorm. _What the hell?_ He shifted his head to the left, his golden hues catching the time displayed on the digital clock that rested on the nightstand. It read 9:57 a.m. _It's early…_ The crimson haired vampire thought as he slowly sat up, his hand reaching up offhandedly to catch a stray yawn. _Who's at the door?_ His weakened senses flared out, the chief one being his sense of smell.

_A human. Familiar scent._ His fragmented thoughts tried to add up the face to the sweet vanilla and honey scent, but it seemed to be too much for his tired brain. He briefly entertained the thought of curling back on his warm bed and burying himself in covers, but dismissed it. A human in the Night Class dorms wasn't something to take lightly. If the human outside chose to remain, they could be putting their life in danger.

The knocking persisted, followed by a quiet call. "Kain-san? Aido-san?"

_Wakaba._ The name and scent finally connected as the prefect's blasé voice slid beneath the door and straight to Kain's ears. Akatsuki's brows rose after he identified the human, unable to believe that she was actually in the vampires' dorms without an overprotective Kiryu crowding her._ He probably doesn't know that she's even here… If he found out, he's sure to get angry._

"Aren't you going to get that?" Hanabusa's muffled voice didn't mask the obvious irritation that his cousin held at being woken up so soon after they've fallen asleep. Unlike Kain, Hanabusa isn't pretty when he is forced awake.

Kain's lips twitched. If the person knocking wasn't a human, he would've allowed them to remain outside knocking until the blond got up himself; however, due to the fact that there were still plenty of newly enrolled vampires, he couldn't be sure that the robot-like female on the other side of the door would remain untouched for much longer. With that in mind, the tall vampire slid out of bed, stopping momentarily to toss on a shirt, before gliding over to the door and pulling it open before the next series of knocks could be produced.

He was greeted with the sight of the honey haired prefect who had her hand half raised to knock once more. He eyed her briefly before turning his attention to the right, a few doors down. A hard look entered his eyes when a plain looking vampire poked his head out. "Go back to sleep. There's nothing to see here." His voice, though quiet, was filled with power, demanding the weaker vampire's compliance.

The brunette's eyes widened briefly before he could slink back into his dorm, the door closing behind him with a resounding clack.

Kain studied the halls for a few seconds longer before turning his attention back to the female standing before him, her blank face not giving off any signs of fear at what could have lead to an attack on her person. Her back was ramrod straight, and from her posture alone, he could tell that he wasn't going to like what news she bared—it looked far too businesslike.

A small silence engulfed the prefects, and it was then that Akatsuki decided that he had better get the conversation started. "Good morning, Wakaba-san."

The female's brows lifted up a miniscule degree, her large hazel eyes lighting up with amusement. "I would say good morning, but I'm afraid that I've woken you and Aido-san up. I apologize."

Kain waved off the female's apology, knowing full and well that the strict by-the-books female wouldn't have came into the Night Class dorms without having specific orders from none other than Headmaster Cross. "You came to tell us something?" He wasn't exactly rushing her, but he didn't want more vampires coming out of their rooms, drawn out by the scent of the female's blood. He had confidence in his abilities, but he'd rather not have to deal with trouble so soon after he's woken up.

He was given a curt nod. "Headmaster Cross has requested that you and Aido-san attend a prefect meeting."

The crimson haired male's arms raised up as he crossed them over his chest, deciding to lean against the wall as his brows lifted. "Prefect meeting? I didn't know that you and Kiryu had prefect meetings…"

The female's lips twitched, threatening to split into a smile. "We've never really had to since it was always only two prefects. Headmaster Cross decided that it would be a good thing to start since we're split into two teams now. Zero wasn't too happy about it when he heard."

Kain eyed the female's obvious fondness for the silver haired hunter, a small smile pulling at his own lips as he pictured his grumpy partner cussing the headmaster out. "I would've thought that Kiryu would be ecstatic at the thought of being pulled out of class for a meeting that he can drown out."

This managed to put a genuine smile on the female's face as she quickly shook her head, mirth swimming in her eyes. "No, he'd rather stay in class. This is usually the time he uses to catch up on his sleep."

_Catch up on his sleep? I know for a fact that since we've started, the prefects have finished their duties sooner since the work has been split in half. Kiryu should've had more than enough time to sleep…_ Kain shook his head at himself. _Now's not the time for thinking about Kiryu. _He quickly dismissed his thoughts before he stared down at the human once more. "When does this meeting start?"

"In thirty minutes." Wakaba responded after consulting her wristwatch. Her eyes slid up and caught onto Akatsuki's, holding them. "Please be sure to get there on time. Zero-kun is fixing the anti-vampire wards so that they'll be shut off long enough for you and Aido-san to slip into the building on time."

Kain's brows rose. Anti-vampire wards? That was the first time that he's heard of Cross Academy holding the ancient hunter magic…

"They won't kill you since you are a higher level vampire—not unless you continuously try to pass over them. However, even though they won't kill you, you'll have to wait outside until the end of the meeting, which is when they will once again rise briefly to allow vampires to leave—but since that defeats the purpose, I recommend you to be in the building on time."

"Aa." The tall vampire eyed his fellow prefect for a moment or two once he noticed that she was looking like she was about ready to leave. "If you wait a couple of minutes, I'll be ready and I can escort you out, Wakaba-san." His ears had told him that there were a few vampires that lingered in a common room downstairs; even with the training he was sure that the female had gone through, he doubted that she would be able to defend herself from so many enemies if she was approached. She would be much safer with a vampire at her side.

A warm smile immediately lighted her features. "Thank you Kain-san, but it isn't necessary."

Akatsuki released a sigh, running a large hand through his sleep tousled locks. She was most likely as stubborn as Kiryu, if not more. _But if I let her walk out of here alone and Kiryu finds out about it… _He didn't want to imagine what sort of hateful look the silver haired hunter would send him. "Wakaba-san—."

"I'll go with her."

Kain glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he watched his cousin toweling off his hair before he rested the damp cloth around his shoulders. He hadn't even heard the blond moving from bed to the shower, let alone taking one. That fact alone wasn't too surprising, but the detail that Akatsuki couldn't wrap his head around was that not only was Aido willingly cooperating with the headmaster's request, but he was already good to go.

"I'm ready anyways." Aido tossed the towel on a rack in the corner of the room before pulling on his black prefect's badge over his white uniform's sleeve, making his way over to the pair. He nodded briefly in Akatsuki's direction before he slid out the door and grabbed onto the female's arm, tugging her along lightly behind him. "Good morning, Sayori-chan."

"Aido-san." She shook her head at the way he started carting her off before flashing Kain a slightly apologetic glance over her shoulder.

_What the hell? _The crimson haired vampire watched in disbelief as the couple disappeared around a corner, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. _Hanabusa offering to help out by escorting Wakaba out on top of waking up early without being angry? _He slowly padded back into his room and began pulling off his clothes, intending on having a quick shower before he too took off. _There's something going on there, I can tell just by looking at him. _He absentmindedly turned the knobs to his desired temperature before sliding in beneath the spray, turning his face towards the shower head.

_Could Hanabusa be thinking of causing mischief?_ He shuddered at the thought of getting reprimanded by Kaname, but the pureblood's angry glare was quickly replaced by that of his partner's. Whatever wrath Zero would toss his way was sure to be ten times worse—especially where Wakaba was concerned.

_Then again… Kiryu's not that bad when he's angry. His unique silver hair swaying as he stalks toward you, lavender eyes glinting as he tugs on your shirt…_ Kain's brows furrowed at the direction that his thoughts were turning.

He was no fool. He knew full and well that he was physically attracted to the hotheaded level D; it had started that first night when he spent their whole time together staring at his slim back, after all. _Hm… Kiryu's back… So slim… Whoa._ Akatsuki quickly turned up the cold water as high as it would go, grimacing lightly as the cool water slid over his warm flesh. _Didn't intend on going there…_

0—Break—0

_Why the hell are we having a prefects meeting? That damn Cross…_ Zero brooded as he glided through the halls in the general direction of the headmaster's office. The silver haired vampire really couldn't see the point in such a ridiculous meeting. After all, if anything substantial happened to one of the groups, he was sure they were responsible enough to pass the information to the other group. _I don't know what Cross is thinking. _He thought, shaking his head lightly as he rounded a corner.

His senses immediately flared out as he began walking down a new hallway, a habit that he didn't really see himself shaking off anytime soon, even if it was midmorning. His senses told him that there was a vampire walking down a path that would soon intersect his own—. _Wait. One vampire?_ Zero frowned at the information. _I know for a fact that the cousins share a dorm room with each other… Why is only one of them coming at this time?_ With that thought in mind, he quickened his pace, intent on questioning the approaching vampire.

He wasn't too surprised when he saw his partner casually making his way down the halls, his trademark unconcerned expression on his face. The crimson haired vampire's hands were safely tucked into his pockets of his Night Class uniform, looking relaxed in the usually heavily warded school. The taller vampire's hair was damp from a recent shower and more unruly than ever, having a windblown look to it that most models would kill for. His intelligent golden hues were locked on Zero's form, a small smirk forming on his thin lips. "Kiryu? How good of you to come and escort me to Headmaster Cross' office."

"Where's your cousin?" Zero asked as soon as Kain came to a stop next to him, not bothering with responding to his partner's comment.

Akatsuki didn't appear to be fazed in the slightest with the lack of a proper introductory statement, having already gotten used to the silver haired prefect's antics two days into their partnership. "He got ready sooner, so he went on ahead." The deep timbre of the crimson haired vampire's voice echoed lightly down the nearly empty hallway as the aristocrat easily fell into step with Zero when the male started to take off.

Zero's senses flared out once more, noting with satisfaction that his partner hadn't lied to him. The troublesome blond was indeed in the headmaster's office, where he wouldn't be able to cause any of his usual chaos. _Good. At least I know that the vampire that I have to work with is a truthful one._ Zero glanced towards his partner, his brows furrowing when he realized that the taller male's golden hues were also fixated on him.

The silver haired male pointedly glared at the male walking alongside him, growling lowly when the look seemed to have little to no effect on Kain. _Fuck this._ He thought, speeding up. He planned on just going to the meeting now, and getting it over with so that he could get back to his napping period. _And to go back to my vampire free days. _He groaned inwardly as Kain merely lengthened his own strides so that he was once more again side by side with Zero.

It was going to be a very long morning.

0—Break—0

"Good morning my lovely prefects! Are you all ready to start this wonderful meeting?!"

Akatsuki looked on with avid amusement as Headmaster Cross slowly began to shrink under Kiryu's fierce glare. He really didn't expect any less, especially since the level D vampire had been sitting in his seat with intense agitation as the older hunter had the nerve to be five minutes late to his own meeting.

He supposed that he himself was the cause of calling forth the silver haired prefect's wrath when he had kept in step with the male the entire way there, even when it came down to faster-than-the-eye-can-see speed walking. Kain knew full and well that Zero had wanted to be alone, but it was just too easy and too fun to get him angry; and luckily for the crimson haired vampire, Zero couldn't attack/kill him without a just cause. Thanks to that rule being established, he was able to sit comfortably in one of the headmaster's plush chairs while said headmaster suffered through the younger hunter's ire.

"Well—ehe…" Headmaster Cross scratched the back of his neck nervously while avoiding Kiryu's searing glare. "This is the first meeting for us, so I imagine that you are all wondering what I have planned for you…" There was a long pause, the headmaster obviously waiting for someone to indulge him.

Sayori glanced around, noting that none of the guys were going to speak up before turning back to the headmaster. "What do you have planned for us, Cross-san?"

The male flushed in pleasure at someone actually humoring him, before striking a dramatic pose. "Since there are more prefects than we've ever had, I've created these neat little evaluation charts for you to fill out, that way I know how everyone is doing!" He passed a chart to each individual, naïvely ignoring the look that each student gave him. He sat back in his chair, eagerly awaiting a verbal response.

Kain frowned down at the ridiculous chart, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. He was woken up for this?

"This is stupid!" Aido shouted, jumping to his feet to start pacing and speaking his mind; only to be chastised by his partner and forced back into his seat with a rather stern look.

Wakaba was next. She frowned down at the paper before glancing up at the headmaster, who was looking at her with hope shining in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but I fail to see why we need this. If there had been any problems, they would have already been brought to your attention. I know full and well to inform you if I felt that Aido-san wasn't appropriate for being a prefect, and I'm sure that if Kain-san was anything less than perfect in his duties, he would've already been forced from his position by Zero-kun."

Cross released a small sigh before turning his eyes towards Kain and Zero. "What do you think of it?"

Kain lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, meeting the headmaster's stare head on. "I have to agree with Wakaba-san. I don't think that we have any real need for the evaluation charts…"

The headmaster nodded sadly before turning once more. "Zero-kun what do you—?" The man stopped himself short when he noticed that the seat that the silver haired prefect had been previously occupied was now empty, all that remained was the tattered remains of the evaluation sheet that he had been given.

Akatsuki smirked at the as the headmaster started bellowing ridiculous things at the top of his lungs at the level D's absence. He had seen when Kiryu planned on leaving. He had shredded the paper up almost as soon as the elder hunter had given it to him and had bolted as soon as Hanabusa had claimed the older male's attention. Kain would have happily gone with the shorter prefect, however, the fact that he didn't know if the wards had been lifted yet or not caused him to pause long enough that he had been forced to remain.

_Oh well. I'll have plenty of time later with Kiryu._

0—Break—0

Zero's eyes snapped open and immediately sat up as soon as the horses started to stir restlessly, his hand automatically reaching into the folds of his black jacket to grasp the Bloody Rose. The horses only reacted in such a way whenever it was stormy, or when a vampire was in the area, and since there was no earthy scent in the air that came before or after the rain, it was safe to assume that a vampire was close by.

The lean prefect moved to stand up, only for a handful of his hair to be pulled back as a distinctive _chomp_ sound filled the area. "Lily…" He sighed, lightly pushing at the great horse's head to dislodge his hair from her mouth. This was definitely _not _the time for his friend to be deploying her usual antics.

When White Lily refused to release him, Zero moved to push her harder, only to pause as something seemed to dawn on him. White Lily wasn't acting as nervous as all of the other horses; in fact, she seemed to be at ease at the moment… _So the vampire in the area is clearly no threat._ He glanced out the barn's doors, noting where the sun stood on the horizon. _However, it is still too early for vampires to be out yet. Time to go to work._

"Oi… Let go, Lily." He tugged at her mane, getting her to release his hair before climbing to his feet. He glanced back at his constant companion, and placed his hand on her head, rubbing ever so slightly. "Thanks for letting me crash here." He whispered softly, before spinning around and taking off in the direction that his senses told him a vampire lay in wait.

He sped past the physical education building, and a couple of Day Class students on his way, his brows creasing as he realized that the vampire was lingering in a cluster of trees, one that provided the most shade. Quickly changing his directions, he sped towards the secluded area, coming to a stop on the outer edge of the shade. He had the sun at his back, so if the vampire decided to start anything, he had the blinding factor on his side. He pulled out Bloody Rose and clicked the safety off, keeping his gun trained on the canopy in front of him. "Come out now, vampire. It's too early for you to be outside of the Moon Dorms."

"Actually Kiryu… I'm right on time." Zero's hand fell to his side as soon as he identified the owner of the voice as Kain, the safety swiftly being pushed back into place. He watched as his partner casually walked out of the awning, his hands rose up in front of him in a defenseless pose, his trademark smirk firmly in place.

"Why did you come here?" The silver haired prefect asked, frowning. "This isn't our sector, so don't say that you were patrolling."

"I wasn't going to." The taller male's head cocked to the side, his ear piercings glinting in the late afternoon sun as he regarded the slender prefect carefully. "Wakaba-san said that you had skipped the rest of your classes for the day, and asked me to come get you."

"Hn. I don't need a babysitter." Zero scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away.

"That's perfect. I have no intention of messing around with children. Luckily for the both of us, you're already well out of childhood." Zero's gaze shot back to Kain, examining the vampire's smirking face intently. He honestly had no clue what to make of that…

When he couldn't find even the barest hint of anything from the crimson haired male, he merely spun around, giving his back to his partner as he walked off, a soft, "whatever," tossed over his shoulder. He didn't have time to look for the answers to his questions.

It was time to go to work.

0—Four/End—0

A/N: I think that this was the longest chapter yet… Hehe. I hope you all enjoyed it!

Thanx for reading!


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